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Orlando gets edible

It wasn’t so long ago in Orlando that it was almost impossible to buy garden-fresh organic produce unless you were lucky enough to have a secret farm source. Over the past few years, the locavore movement has caught hold, and the Sept. 1 debut of Edible Orlando magazine is further evidence of the city’s progress.

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The quarterly publication is part of the national Edible Communities Inc. network, which now has franchises in 65 cities, mostly in the U.S. but with a few in Canada. Owners and foodies Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian started the company with one publication in Ojai, Calif., in 2002 to “connect consumers with local growers, retailers, chefs and food artisans, enabling those relationships to grow and thrive in a mutually beneficial, healthful and economically viable way,” according to the mission statement. The number of Edible community magazines has increased by 50 percent in the last three years alone.

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Edible publications are linked together via the national site, but content for the magazines is generated locally. In Orlando, daughter-mother team Kate Farmand (editor) and Pam Brandon (managing editor) comprise the editorial team with help from contributors. Naturally, the eating was good at the Edible Orlando magazine launch party, held Aug. 31 at the Dr. Phillips area Whole Foods. Familiar faces included some of the leaders of the grass-roots local scene, such as Emily Ruff of the Florida School of Holistic Living and the Homegrown Co-op, who’s the “Grow Your Own” columnist. Pick up a copy at advertiser locations, or better yet, download a PDF for free from the website, www.edibleorlando.com.